Milanese Madrid derby would be a fitting Final
THE European Cup was 45 years old before two teams from the same nation qualified for the final. Given the country in question’s steely grip on the tournament, even once it morphed into the Champions League, of course they were Spaniards.
In 2000, Real Madrid won their eighth ‘cup with the big ears’, against Valencia in Paris, helping add to what have been 15 wins and 10 runners-up performances by La Liga clubs in this majestic competition.
But, i n the entire glorious, gorgeous, gargantuan history of what is variously known as CL, the European Champion Clubs’ Cup, the UCL or ‘the endless money fountain’, only one city has provided both finalists.
Not London, not Milan, not Manchester, not Turin, not Glasgow. Madrid, of course. Given the genuinely remarkable drama of 2014 in Lisbon: Sergio Ramos’ stoppage-time headed equaliser, Gareth Bale’s debut goal in a Champions League Final, Ronaldo’s ‘Hulk’ impersonation and Diego Simeone’s red card for marching onto the pitch to try and box Rafa Varane’s ears, I believe it was underplayed that this was a historically remarkable achievement.
And while you would not put either Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid or Simeone’s Atletico as outright favourites to win the thing this year, each of them are just a couple of good performances away from the Final at the San Siro next month.
What knockout drama that would bring.
Spain’s capital city divided in Milan — the only other city, anywhere, which can boast 10 wins in this old darling of a tournament.
So, a little glance at the immediate tasks in hand if either Real Madrid or Atletico are to reach the last four — never mind the final.
Around Europe, there were groans and ‘I told you so’s’ when Real Madrid and Wolfsburg were paired together.
Gianluca Zambrotta, Milan’s ambassador on the day, pulled the ties out of the ‘hat’ and was pushed into joking, afterwards: ‘I promise that there weren’t any which were heated up and none which were rough textured so that I could avoid them!’
First things first, though. You don’t have to be anti-Madridista to have a little penchant for either Wolfsburg or their impish coach Dieter Hecking.
Cutting to the chase, old Dieter (right) will always be worth a corner of your heart for the brilliant ‘post Goodfellas’ Ray Liotta look he’s got going on there.
It is properly ‘made man’ and, when he produces that wolverine smile, it is Ray, I tell you, it is Ray.
Speaking of wolverine, you have got to admire the executives in Lower Saxony given that, against stiff competition, they appointed Wolfgang Wolf to take charge of Wolfsburg in 1998. Nuff said.
Well, nuff said, apart from when Dieter started to speak about Wednesday’s tie when a side from a 122,000 population city (OK, they are subsidised by Volkswagen but, still) take on the 10-times European champions. It will all be deadly serious when Zizou and Co turn up this week but, for the moment, our hero, Dieter/Ray found a way to put wit and smiles back into elite football. Bless him for that.
He started with: ‘We are big underdogs in this tie but outsiders are there to be cheeky... and I’d like to see my team being cheeky in both these matches against Madrid.’
Hoorah for Hecking! Only if he had referred to his pack as ‘under wolves’ instead of underdogs, could he have done better.
But there was more. ‘So far, we’ve learned that it’s a huge amount of fun to play in the Champions League. Every single game has been a highlight. It’s a massive experience and one I don’t want to miss out on.’ Yes! Ja! Si! That’s how to reconnect between the elite clubs and fans around Europe who feel they have nothing in common with the rockstar footballers and coaches. Fun!
Since they flogged Kevin de Bruyne to Manchester City, there’s no question that Wolfsburg have lacked bite.
Domestically, they are struggling, hence the groans at former Barcelona full-back Zambrotta pitting them against Real Madrid.
Los Blancos have not lost in Europe this season and, it is fair to note, have won three of their last four visits to Germany.
And the exception was a 2-0 defeat in Dortmund (to go with a 4-1 defeat there a year prior to that, in 2013) and their overall record on UEFA business in Germany had previously been 18 defeats and just one win in 25. Not clever.
You would back them to deal with the Bundesliga’s injury-plagued eighth-placed side — but there could be some more fun in that meeting.
It will be more intense, perhaps more dour, in the other Madrid tie.
When the reigning champions, Barcelona, drew Atletico in these quarter-finals, for the second time in two years, the focus was all on how they reacted.
Were there groans? Notable signs of battle fatigue on the part of the Treble winners who, infamously, crave the stimulus of the Champions League in search of new experiences, new challenges, different playing styles which refresh them from their weekly La Liga challenges?
Perhaps so. But what of Simeone and his team?
Atletico knocked Barcelona out at this stage of the tournament in 2014, that year of the Lisbon final, and drew at the Nou Camp in order to clinch the Spanish title.
But the phrase ‘lean pickings’ for Atletico does not cover it since Luis Enrique took over at the Catalan club.
Six meetings, six defeats — all but one by a single goal.
That said, when Atletico played for half an hour with nine men at the Nou Camp in January, they could easily have won.
The world’s clubs have looked for the longest time as if they need 14 players on the pitch in order to compete with this Barcelona. But Simeone’s team were on top with just nine! Remarkable.
Substantial enough to ensure that when their right-back, Juanfran, says: ‘I’m convinced that, sooner or later, this club will win the Champions League,’ he doesn’t sound daft.
The all-Madrid Final in Milan is still feasible. Watch this space.
Realand Atletico are just a couple of good games away from the Final